Government suggests activities for promoting Sindhi language

The government has mooted the development of the e-learning curriculum in Sindhi and the uploading of rare books in the national e-library in an attempt to promote the language, an official statement said on Thursday.

New Delhi: The government has mooted the development of the e-learning curriculum in Sindhi and the uploading of rare books in the national e-library in an attempt to promote the language, an official statement said on Thursday.

The activities, suggested by Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani at the recently held meeting of the newly-reconstituted Governing Council of National Council for Promotion of Sindhi Language (NCPSL), would be undertaken for the language`s development.

Under the e-learning curriculum in Sindhi Language, a foundation course of the language would be provided free of cost. Also, the works of young and upcoming Sindhi writers would be published by the National Book Trust.

The books of new writers would be exhibited during the World Book Fair in 2016.

"A competition among young Sindhi knowing students will be conducted and the top three winners will be sent on a `Shodh Yatra` across the Asian continent."

They would be accompanied by a writer and a historian to study the roots of Sindhi language, culture and its civilization. Their experiences in the form of books will also be published by the government," a Human Resource Development Ministry statement said.

The meeting was attended by 21 members, who are eminent scholars of Sindhi language and culture.

The minister also suggested that one cultural club in major clusters of Sindhi speaking people would be made functional in which the younger generation would participate in activities like drama, poetry, writing, music and performing arts.

It was suggested that a national-level competition be held for these activities, and an award of Rs.1 lakh has been earmarked.

"It has also been decided to upload rare books of Sindhi language in the National E-Library and such rare books would also be published by the National Book Trust for circulation."

The task of standardisation of prescribed text books for schools in Sindhi language using Devanagari script will be undertaken by the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL)," it said.

A few important decisions taken in the meeting included an increase in the award money from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for the Lifetime Achievement Award presented to a Sindhi writer for his/her outstanding lifetime contribution in Sindhi literature.

There was also an increase in award money, from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh, for 10 eminent writers, recognising their contribution to the field of Sindhi literature, the statement said.

The increase in award money in all cases would be effective from 2014-15.

It was also decided in the meeting to provide Rs 1 crore for the establishment of a Sindhi chair in Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati University, Ajmer.